Vampire's Kiss
by Altaira
Summary: When Merlin is seduced by a vampire, it is up to Arthur to save him, with a little help from Gaius. But can they save Merlin before he falls prey to the vampire's kiss? Rated T, just in case ;)
1. Chapter 1

A/N- I haven't written a fic in years but this one sprung into my mind and refuses to go away! I hope you enjoy! Updates will be as regular as I can make them, but please bear in mind I work full time (and am also studying for a qualification)

Also, I don't own Merlin. Never have, and probably never will! (Sadly)

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

Merlin paused for a moment to wipe the sweat off his brow and to admire his handiwork. Yet again he had somehow managed to earn the ire of Arthur, and had been ordered to muck out the stables as punishment. Worse, he had been forced to do it at night, since Arthur had also piled several chores on top of his normal duties. He hadn't even had a chance to eat. He wondered if Gaius would save something for him, or whether he would be having stale bread for tea.

Sighing at the irony of being a powerful warlock and not being able to use his power to sweep the stables clean in mere seconds, he picked up the broom and began to sweep with swift, sure movements, whistling under his breath as he did so. In fact surely the most ironic thing was that he was a powerful warlock cleaning stables in the first place. Not for the first time he wistfully wondered how things might be if Arthur wasn't such a clotpole, and accepted magic.

Finally! He was finished. With a small smile of satisfaction, Merlin propped the broom against the wall. Too bad really that the horses would mess it up within a day.

He stepped out of the stables into the cool night air. There was no one around. Just how long had he been cleaning? He looked up at the sky, but the moon was hidden by a thickening layer of fog. He frowned. He hadn't thought the conditions were right for fog.

He paused. Something didn't feel right. Looking over his shoulder, he attempted to ascertain the cause of his worry. Seeing nothing, he moved to head back to the castle, starting to picture the warmth of his bed.

"_Merlllinnn_." A voice seemed to call to him. He froze in place. "_Merlinnn. Come to me._"

Merlin moved towards the source of the sound, step by step he moved closer, ignoring the warnings his magic attempted to spark in him.

The fog seemed to press in on him as he made his way to the voice. "_Merlinn._"

He squinted as he tried to see through the fog. It dispersed slightly, allowing him to see the outline of a woman.

He almost stumbled in his haste to reach her. The closer he got the stronger the pull to be with her became. He stopped just in front of her. Her face stayed in shadow but he could somehow tell she had just smiled.

"_Close your eyes, Merlin_."

He did so without question. She untied his neckerchief and pulled it free, causing his skin to shiver into goose bumps at the sudden contact with the night air.

She kissed him on the lips then, roughly. He found himself responding to the kiss even as part of his mind screamed at him to run away.

She kissed him into a stupor before the kisses moved, beginning to trail down his neck. He didn't even flinch at the sudden sting in his neck.

The warmth on his neck stayed for a while. He tingled in anticipation even as his thoughts seemed to float further away. The part of his mind that had screamed at him fell silent.

It was some time before he realised that she had gone. Shaking himself slightly out of his daze, he trudged back towards the castle.

Gaius had already gone to bed but had left some bread and cheese on the table. Feeling odd, Merlin left the food untouched, and went straight to bed. He didn't even have the strength to change his clothes, yet for some reason he had a strong compulsion to tie his neckerchief tightly around his neck. He found it in his pocket. Strange, he couldn't remember taking the neckerchief off, let alone putting it in his pocket. He tied it round his neck, and laid on the bed, asleep within moments.

His dreams were filled with fog, darkness, and the low laugh of a woman.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well this update is quicker than I expected! :) Hooray!

As before, I do not own Merlin.

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

The next morning, Merlin struggled to wake up. Nothing unusual there, as he skidded out of his bedroom to face Gaius mixing a potion with a stern look on his face.

"Morning, Merlin." He raised an eyebrow as Merlin grabbed the stale bread left untouched from the night before.

Racing out the door and taking a large bite of the bread, he yelled a muffled 'morning' in reply. Gaius shook his head as the door closed behind Merlin.

Merlin made it to the kitchen in record time, snatched a plate from the side and loaded it with some food. Balancing the plate in one hand, he picked up a full jug with the other, and headed for Arthur's room.

He opened the door cautiously, fully expecting to be hit in the face with a flying pillow. When no pillow came, he walked into the room.

Arthur was still fast asleep, lying on his stomach with an arm and leg dangling out of the bed. Merlin stifled a laugh. If the people of Camelot could see their King now!

He put the plate and the jug on the table with a clatter. Arthur stayed asleep. Merlin rolled up his sleeves. He took hold of the curtains, and whipped them open loudly, letting in a large dose of sunlight. Arthur remained steadfastly asleep.

Merlin rolled his eyes. Moving to the bed, he leaned over Arthur, so his face was inches away from his.

Arthur opened an eye. Seeing Merlin so close, he jumped up in surprise, banging his head against Merlin's.

Merlin stumbled back clutching his forehead. "Ow."

Arthur rubbed his head. "Yes, ow, you idiot!"

Merlin was too slow to dodge the pillow Arthur launched at him. It hit him smack in the face.

Arthur grinned.

As was the case for any normal day, Arthur's schedule was packed tight, and Merlin's even tighter. Even worse, Arthur had slipped in a training session for the afternoon. So, after several hours of meetings, cleaning and attending to Arthur, Merlin found himself racing around the field outside the castle acting as Arthur's and the knights' target.

Leon clapped as Arthur threw a spear that embedded itself in the shield. Merlin huffed, struggling to keep his arm steady with the extra weight attached to the shield.

Up next, Gwaine threw his spear, which landed deep in the shield next to Arthur's.

Arthur called to Merlin. "Merlin, run faster!"

Feeling dizzy, Merlin obediently picked up his pace. His vision blurred, and he tripped over his own feet, dropping the shield.

Percival's spear hit the ground inches away from his side, landing with a thwunk that made Arthur feel quite ill. Merlin would have felt ill too, if it wasn't for the black dots circling his vision, and the roaring in his ears. He pulled himself up into a seated position, and put his head between his knees.

"That's enough practise for today!" At Arthur's word, the knights dispersed. Gwaine looked over at Merlin with concern, but was distracted by a clap on his shoulder from Percival, who wanted to talk about whose throw was the best. When he looked again he saw Arthur heading for Merlin, and decided Merlin would be in safe hands.

Arthur squeezed Merlin's shoulder. When he saw Merlin was fine, he broke the tension. "We need to get you to do more training, so you don't fall over like a girl."

Merlin smiled slightly. He grasped Arthur's hand, and was pulled up.

Merlin barely said a word to Gaius as they ate their evening meal, a simple stew. Thankfully he had completed all his chores for the night, and was able to drag himself straight to bed, ignoring the concerned looks Gaius passed his way.

He half woke from his slumber in the middle of the night. Sitting up, and running his hand through his hair, he gazed around his room through bleary eyes.

His window was open. Frowning, he opened his hand and stretched out his palm to close it with magic.

"_Merlinnnn._"

He closed his hand at the sound of her voice, calling his name. His lips parted a fraction.

A shadow in the corner of the room moved. He closed his eyes in expectation of something, his breathing quickened.

"_Merlinnn_." She moved to the side of his bed, and leaned over him.

He pulled off his neckerchief without her needing to ask him.

It floated to the floor and landed in a crumpled heap as he felt a familiar sting in his neck and soon he was floating, in a dark dream where her voice sang to him, promised they would be together forever. After a while, she moved away, and he fell back onto his bed, his arm outstretched asking her to stay.

She smiled, watching his arm slump to his side as he succumbed to unconsciousness. Moving back to him, she tied the neckerchief round his neck again before she disappeared through the window.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I had forgotten the excitement of seeing a new review!

As before, I do not own Merlin. But I am super excited that it's a Merlin night!

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

Merlin squinted at the light that was pouring in from the window. Arthur was going to kill him. It was clearly early morning and he was still in bed. In fact, he was surprised he hadn't already arrived to wake Merlin with a jug of water in his face. He struggled out of bed and put his shoes on.

He wavered slightly on his feet. He didn't feel so good.

He stumbled out of his room to find a note from Gaius sat on the table. After frowning at the words until they came into focus, he gathered the note meant Gaius had left at dawn to pick some rare herbs for a potion. He had left some porridge on the side for Merlin to heat up, but Merlin didn't have the time to stop to eat.

Somehow, he made his way to the kitchens, and picked up Arthur's breakfast. Normally he would bounce through the corridors with a big grin on his face, but today he didn't feel like it.

Arthur was already sat up in bed, a frown on his face. He watched Merlin sharply as he placed his food on the table. His keen glare softened as he saw Merlin's hands shake pouring his spiced wine into the cup.

"Merlin." He called softly. Engrossed in not spilling any of the drink, Merlin did not hear him. "MERLIN!" He bellowed.

Merlin moved his head slowly to face Arthur. Seeing him properly, Arthur's eyes widened in shock. Merlin's face and hands were deathly pale. He had clearly gotten little sleep, as grey smudges lined under his eyes. His eyes seemed off, the spark in them gone. Merlin seemed to be having trouble focusing, his eyes glazed over.

His legs gave way from under him, and Merlin sank suddenly to the floor, the cup of wine falling to the floor with a clatter that sent a burst of red spreading across the floor. Arthur winced at the sound of Merlin hitting the floor, and was by his side within seconds.

He lifted Merlin over his shoulder, and raced to Gaius' quarters.

Arthur laid Merlin on his bed, and paced up and down in his room. Gaius was no where to be seen, and Merlin remained unconscious. Arthur's only consolation was the steady rise and fall of Merlin's chest. Merlin was very cold, so he had placed several blankets over him, hoping he was doing the right thing.

Finally Gaius arrived. Dropping the herbs haphazardly on the floor, he moved as fast as he could to Merlin's side.

After a few minutes of puzzled examination, Gaius looked worriedly at Arthur.

No longer able to bear the tension, Arthur turned to Gaius. "What is wrong with him!"

"I don't understand, he appears to be suffering from blood loss- but he has no wounds, there is no blood." Gaius paused. "Unless…" He took Merlin's neckerchief off. He pulled back.

Arthur peered closer. Two small puncture wounds were visible in Merlin's neck. "What the?"

Gaius had already left the room to rummage through his books. Blowing the dust off one of his older books, he threw it open to a page and read it rapidly with the assistance of his magnifying glass.

Arthur tapped his foot impatiently as Gaius came back in. "Well?"

"A vampire, sire."

Arthur laughed in disbelief for a moment before being convinced by Gaius' deadly serious expression. He immediately launched into protective King mode. "What can I do?"

"Honestly sire, I do not know."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hands up if you're super excited that Merlin is on tonight!

I do not own Merlin.

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

Arthur plonked another book on the table with a sigh. He rubbed his eyes and stretched to ease the ache that had settled in his arms. He looked at Gaius, who was busy squinting at a rather old book.

The door to Merlin's bedroom opened with a creak and a pale and confused Merlin shuffled out, wrapped in his blanket. He looked at Arthur and Gaius with a puzzled look on his face.

"What happened?"

Gaius and Arthur looked at each other, not sure how to start telling him. In the end Gaius took responsibility.

"We believe you were attacked by a vampire, Merlin."

Merlin's eyes widened. "No, no way. I would remember."

Gaius looked at Merlin with empathy. "We have spent hours looking through all these books. It is the only plausible explanation."

When Merlin only looked at them in disbelief, shaking his head, Arthur took over. He grasped Merlin's shoulder gently and led him to the mirror. He lifted his neckerchief, and pointed at the raised bite marks.

Merlin groaned. "Ok, I believe you now." He moved over to the table and sank down in his chair. "I just don't get how."

Gaius flipped open one of his books and pointed at an entry on vampires. "It says here they have the power to bend men to their will. I doubt you would have even noticed the vampire was there."

"Great. Just great." Merlin ran his hand through his hair. "What do I do to stop being vampire food?"

Arthur gestured at the pile of books. "That's what we are trying to find out."

Gaius smiled at Merlin. "So far we know that they are only able to feed at night, so we know you will be safe in the daylight."

Merlin grimaced. "Just several hours of night to watch out for then."

Arthur smiled at Merlin. "Gaius and I have an idea. I will hide in your room tonight and hopefully I can fight off this vampire."

"Sadly we do not yet know what you can fight off a vampire with." Gaius opened another book. "And there are plenty more books to look through before sundown." He gestured to a plate of food over on the side. "And Merlin, I want you to eat that. No more skipping meals!"

Merlin ignored the concerned glare from Arthur as he tucked into the food.

The sun had dipped below the horizon and none of them had found anything remotely helpful, especially nothing under a heading 'How to kill a vampire.' Merlin went to bed and Arthur sat in the corner. Arthur had settled on trying his sword as a weapon. As far as magical creatures went, most of them could be defeated with a sword.

Merlin shifted under his covers. "It's hard to sleep knowing you're watching me. And even harder knowing that I'm a mixture of vampire bait and possible food!"

"Shut up Merlin." Arthur smiled.

Eventually Merlin slipped into sleep. Listening to the soft in and out of his breathing, Arthur started to get drowsy but stayed resolutely awake.

He nearly missed the sound of the window being pulled open from the outside. As soon as it registered, he was wide awake and alert with the attention of a warrior.

He looked on in astonishment as fog rolled in through the window, rising up into the silhouette of a woman. Merlin sat up in his bed, eyes open but glazed over. As though he were sleepwalking, he pulled his neckerchief off and sat back with his neck exposed.

Arthur had had enough. Raising his sword he went to strike the vampire through the heart.

It went through her as though she were actually made of fog. He stumbled slightly before regaining his balance. He stared at his sword as though it had betrayed him.

The fog solidified then into a woman. He would have found her very alluring if he was not disgusted by her very presence. She stalked towards him, raven black hair swinging out behind her.

She held out her hand. Arthur was thrown against the wall and pinned there.

He struggled to free himself as she stared at him with black eyes. "Arthurr." She purred. Arthur struggled to think clearly, staring into those eyes that seemed as dark as a bottomless pool of water. He screamed at his body to obey him as his fingers went slack, dropping the sword to the floor with a useless clatter.

He looked over at Merlin, who hadn't moved from his position on his bed, and anger soared in him, giving his mind a sudden clarity.

The vampire glared at him. He glared back stubbornly.

The vampire shrugged. "No matter." To his horror, Arthur found he was still unable to move as she moved to Merlin.

"Merrrlin." Her voice was musical but Arthur could hear the scrape of death floating under her words.

Merlin moaned softly, and Arthur was forced to watch as she kissed him. He yelled at them until his voice went hoarse, and he stopped trying.

Arthur's shoulders slumped with his despair as she started drinking Merlin's blood.

But worse was to come. She drew a dagger from her hip and dragged it across her wrist. She put it to Merlin's lips. Arthur thought he was going to be sick as Merlin started drinking.

Eventually she pulled back, and Arthur saw the skin on her wrist knit itself together. She smiled cruelly at Arthur as her form shifted to fog and spilled out of the window into the night.

Her hold on Arthur broken, he fell to the floor with a crash. Merlin didn't stir. Arthur raced out of the door to get Gaius.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm so excited Merlin is on tonight it's unreal!

I do not own Merlin.

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

Arthur nearly bounced off Gaius in his haste to leave Merlin's room.

"Where were you?!" Arthur exclaimed.

"I had left to go to the privy sire. What happened?!"

"The vampire came- my sword went right through her."

"Her?"

"Yes, her. She used some form of magic to pin me to the wall while she forced Merlin to drink her blood."

Gaius' face drained of colour. "Merlin drank her blood?"

Arthur nodded.

Merlin woke to the grim expressions of Gaius and Arthur. He squinted at the ray of sunlight that was peeking through the curtains and screwed his eyes shut. Damn the light hurt his eyes! He covered his eyes with his arm.

Gaius closed the curtains more tightly. With more caution, Merlin opened his eyes again. He sat up and looked at Arthur. "Is it over?" he asked hopefully.

Arthur shook his head slowly.

"Oh." Merlin looked at the sheets, finding the creases in them suddenly very fascinating.

Gaius cleared his throat. "We have a slight problem, Merlin."

"Oh?"

"You drink some of the vampire's blood last night."

Merlin blanched. "Urgh!"

Arthur winced at the memory. "Gaius says that the vampire blood you drank is working its way through your system."

"What?! So, I'm going to turn into a vampire?"

Gaius put a reassuring hand on Merlin's shoulder. "Only if you die."

"That's comforting."

Arthur smiled. "No-one is going to let you die, Merlin. Gaius has found some more books in the library. We are going to find a way through this!"

Merlin grinned back. "I know. You're too stubborn to let me die."

"Well someone has to wash my socks!"

"True, very few people have the stomach for that."

Merlin put a hand to his head. "I still feel dizzy Gaius."

"The vampire took more blood from you last night. Lie back and I'll get you something to eat."

Merlin shook his head and shakily moved his legs to get out of bed. "I have chores to do."

Arthur glared at Merlin. "You are to lie in bed Merlin, that's an order!"

Astonished, Merlin laid back.

This time, Merlin joined in with the research, with books strewn across his bed. Gaius and Arthur had dragged a table into the room so they could keep an eye on him. Because Merlin was sensitive to the sunlight they were reading by candlelight with the curtains drawn.

Merlin read from a passage. "Says here you can repel a vampire with garlic."

"Garlic?" Arthur shook his head disbelievingly. "A sword doesn't touch them but a herb has them shaking in their boots."

Gaius looked up from his book. "I have some garlic in the other room. Hold on a moment."

When he came back, he held out a bulb of garlic.

Arthur looked at it with suspicion. "What kind of weapon is that?" He looked over at Merlin, whose face was screwed up, almost in pain.

"Get it away from me!"

Gaius hurried out of the room. Arthur looked at Merlin quizzically, who was rubbing his nose.

"Ow. It felt like the smell was burning it's way up my nostrils. I'd say it works."

Gaius came back in. "It is as I thought, the vampire blood has made you vulnerable to the same things that a full blown vampire would be."

Merlin winced. "Great. So on top of everything else I have gained an allergy to garlic. One of the few things in this world that could make Gaius' cooking taste of something."

Gaius raised an eyebrow. Merlin found his book suddenly very interesting.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I do not own Merlin. If I did, it would last for more than 5 series, and Arthur would've found out about Merlin's magic by now! They would have an awesome tag team thing going on... :)

Hope this chapter was worth the wait! :)

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

Merlin sighed as Arthur finished reading the latest passage he'd found about vampires. Nothing new, just the same old myths recycled in different words. Mind control, power to turn into mist, lust for blood...The only useful thing they'd found out about all day was the garlic.

He rubbed his eyes for the fifteenth time in as many minutes. He felt drained. He chuckled darkly at his mind's choice of words. Tired then.

Merlin felt his neck gingerly. If he concentrated really hard, he could feel two small bumps, almost like insect bites. He let his hand drop, exasperated. The daylight was fading fast, and they were leagues away from having enough information to launch any kind of attack. The garlic was all well and good, but they couldn't keep it near him for defence, as it hurt him. He flopped back on his bed so suddenly Gaius and Arthur looked up from their books.

Gaius squeezed his arm gently. "We'll find a way."

Arthur nodded in agreement, before going back to his book. Merlin was sure he had never seen Arthur sit still and read for such a prolonged period of time. Sure, he was used to reading long reports, but he always skim read them as fast as possible before launching into training outside. He preferred verbal reports, and had even been known on occasion to get Merlin to read some of the drier reports and summarise them for him. Merlin didn't mind- as a chore, it certainly beat mucking out the stables.

Gaius got up and pulled the curtain back a fraction. "Sorry my boy, we are going to have to find some way to make the garlic work. The daylight is almost all gone."

Merlin nodded. He swallowed nervously, and ducked his head down to look at the book. As a thought occurred to him, he turned to Arthur.

"You could rub garlic on your sword?" He added hurriedly. "As long as you keep it covered up!"

Arthur looked to Gaius, who shrugged. "It's worth a try, sire."

Arthur passed his sword to Gaius, who left the room for a few minutes. When he came back in, he had the sword thoroughly wrapped in a blanket.

Merlin screwed up his nose a little. "It still stings my nose a bit, but I can live with it!"

Arthur took up his position watching Merlin. He had insisted Gaius sleep in the other room, out of harms way.

Merlin tossed and turned in his blankets a few times. "I can't get comfortable." He whined.

Arthur looked at him incredulously from his hard wooden chair. "Really _Merlin?_ Perhaps you would like to swap?"

Merlin snapped his mouth shut, but kicked his blankets about a bit. He huffed, then looked at Arthur. "Sorry."

"For being such a whiny girl?"

Merlin closed his eyes a moment. When he reopened them, he was deadly serious. "Sorry for you having to sit in that chair all night to defend me from a vampire hell bent on eating me."

"Oh." Arthur looked at his boots, suddenly finding them very interesting. Looking back up, he grinned wolfishly. "Well I can't have some vampire woman stealing my property can I?"

Merlin glared at him from the bed. Arthur's grin grew wider, knowing he had won this particular battle of words.

As Merlin drifted off to sleep, Arthur settled into his chair, trying to get into a position that was less awkward. He failed. He stretched out a leg, trying to ease the cramp that had settled in it.

The window blew open. He jumped up from the chair and closed it immediately. Senses on high alert, he kept his fingers within easy reach of his sword.

Moments passed, turning into minutes. Nothing happened.

Arthur relaxed a bit. His eyelids started to droop closed. He forced them open, heart pounding. He couldn't sleep. Mustn't sleep. He sat in the chair more rigidly.

Time trickled by. He struggled to think clearly, his eyelids became heavier with each second that passed. Straining his ears, he thought he could hear a low, hypnotic humming, but dismissed the thought to the back of his mind.

His thoughts slow, murky, he tried to fathom why he shouldn't close his eyes. Just a minute. He would close them for just a minute. A minute wouldn't hurt. He was so tired...The low humming lulled him deeper towards sleep.

He failed to notice the black fog slipping in through the gaps in the window frame, pooling along the floor, creeping towards Merlin.

Within moments, his head dropped to his chest, fast asleep.

Arthur didn't realise that he had fallen asleep until he woke with a start. Getting his bearings, he peered into the gloom. With relief, he noticed that Merlin was fast asleep.

It was then that he paid attention to the sounds in the room. The only sound was the steady breathing coming from Merlin's bed. He let out a breath, relieved some more. He never fell asleep while on watch. Never. He pinched his nose to release some stress. And guilt. What if something had happened to Merlin because he had been napping?

It was then that he realised that something didn't quite seem right. He frowned. He stood up from his chair, and pulled the curtain back slightly. The sun was rising, and he could already see a couple of farmers out, tending to their cattle.

He turned worriedly to Merlin. Now his eyes had become accustomed, he staggered forward in shock. Merlin had always been pale, but right now, he looked ghastly. Now Arthur was paying more attention, he noticed that Merlin's breathing was short and raspy, as though it were an effort to breathe. His arm hung slackly across his chest, his neckerchief grasped loosely in his fingers. His neck had blood smeared across it.

Arthur couldn't take it any more. He shook Merlin; wanting him to wake up, to laugh at him with those merry blue eyes, to call him a right royal prat for getting so worked up.

Merlin moved like a rag doll in his hands, unresponsive.

Panicked, Arthur took a deep breath. And yelled for Gaius.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I do not own Merlin.

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

This time, as Arthur watched Gaius tend to Merlin yet again, he decided he had had enough. It was time for him to take charge as was his habit, his birthright.

He spared a glance at Merlin's prone form on the bed before putting on the commanding face he always wore. "Gaius."

Gaius ignored him for a moment as he finished tending to the swollen bite marks on Merlin's neck. He straightened up painfully, feeling every one of his years settling down on him with a heavy weight. "Sire?"

"I'm moving him to my chambers- I have two guards posted outside the door already. I'll double them. I'm not sitting around waiting for that... vampire... to attack Merlin again."

Gaius nodded.

Arthur wanted nothing more than to pick Merlin up in his arms and carry him to his room, but called for a guard to do it instead. He followed behind, trying not to notice the way Merlin's arm swung down with every step the guard took.

He watched sharply as Merlin was laid carefully on his bed, and waited until Gaius had made sure Merlin was as comfortable as he could be- under the circumstances, before clearing his throat. "She made me fall asleep Gaius."

Gaius gave him a pitying look. "You have had little sleep these past few days, sire."

Adamantly, Arthur grasped Gaius' arm. "It was like she was singing some distant lullaby Gaius. I know I did not just fall asleep on the watch."

This time, Gaius nodded. "Then perhaps I could suggest you place beeswax in your ears, sire?"

Arthur grinned. "Excellent idea, Gaius. And I will insist on the guards wearing garlic around their necks. They will find the request rather strange, but one of the benefits of being the King means they will not question me."

Gaius smiled wryly. "Might I suggest we also lay garlic around the window sills as well, sire?"

Arthur attended to his paperwork for a few hours, and if any of his knights reporting to him found the sudden appearance of garlic and Merlin in his room strange, they had the good sense not to mention it. Arthur would have explained, but refused to cause a mass panic in admitting that a vampire was not only in Camelot, but also perfectly capable of entering the castle on a whim and had even attacked the King's personal manservant. No, much better to keep this one quiet.

He did however, take the opportunity to explain matters to Leon. Leon, the epitome of discretion, merely nodded and insisted that he would personally check on the guards outside his room on an hourly basis. Arthur could see that he was worried for Merlin, and had glanced in the direction of the bed a few times.

Merlin did not wake. His face remained expressionless, even when they had brought the garlic in. Arthur did not want to even begin to admit to himself how much that worried him.

Arthur was woken by Gaius entering the room. He brushed away the piece of paper that had stuck to his face. Gaius tried and failed not to smile at Arthur's face- this time he had fallen asleep on a piece of paper before the words had even dried, leaving a reverse imprint of them on his cheek. His smile soon faded when he thought of how much Merlin would relish watching how long it would take Arthur to notice he had ink all over his face.

Gaius stepped forward with some beeswax. "For your ears, Sire. I have taken the liberty of providing some for the guards."

"Thank you, Gaius."

Gaius nodded, and left the room.

Arthur stayed awake all night at his desk, working by candlelight on the backlog of paperwork. At one point Merlin had became rather agitated, and had weakly tried to struggle out of the bed sheets, but had calmed down when Arthur patted his arm a few times, rather awkwardly.

Arthur was very relieved when the sun rose. And very tired. Merlin was still fast asleep, but had gained a little colour in his cheeks. And as soon as Gaius came in the room to check on Merlin, Arthur stretched himself out on some pillows on the floor, and drifted straight to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I do not own Merlin. If I did Merlin would not have ended!

More action to come in the next chapter!

And on a final note- HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

Arthur woke from his uncomfortable position on the floor with a slight groan. He had slept outdoors in all sorts of weather, but his bedroom floor seemed to have a hardness in a category of its own, even with the use of pillows. He stretched and blinked at the room with bleary eyes. He frowned at the outline of Gaius, who was apparently tending to Merlin.

Arthur moved into an upright position to check on Merlin. He was still unconscious in his bed, but breathing softly. Arthur was relieved to see his hands were flexing in his sleep. He grinned to himself. Asleep, Merlin looked quite cute. Certainly he was less talkative. But then Arthur quite liked Merlin when he was talkative. He sighed, gaining Gaius' attention.

"Afternoon, sire." Gaius looked rather tired but managed a faint smile. "Merlin is on the mend."

"Good." Arthur swallowed uncomfortably before covering with his usual banter. "After all, he's had rather a lot of time off, and my socks need a wash."

Gaius smiled wryly. "Of course, sire."

"Why don't you go on to bed for a bit, I'll keep an eye on him."

Gaius nodded his thanks, and shuffled out of the room.

Merlin woke slowly. His thoughts seemed to be as murky as porridge, and took a while to settle. He huffed slightly, and opened his eyes tentatively to find Arthur staring at him from across the bed. He drew back in shock. "What am I doing in your bed?" He squeaked, his voice slightly sore from the lack of use.

"Someone had to sleep in it." Arthur commented dryly. "Frankly, it's been so long since the sheets were changed I would rather sleep on the floor."

Merlin grinned, and flopped back on the bed. "It's certainly very comfortable."

"Well don't get used to it."

Merlin moved his arms and legs up and down like he was making a snow angel. "And very roomy..."

"_Merl_in!"

Merlin stopped after a couple of seconds. He pouted. "You're no fun."

Arthur leaned over and batted him with a pillow. Merlin pushed the pillow on the floor and stuck his tongue out. Arthur laughed.

Within minutes, the two of them had destroyed two of Arthur's best pillows with a pillow fight. Gaius walked in to find the two of them laughing hysterically, with feathers poking out from their hair and drifting around the room.

Arthur and Merlin stopped mid laugh at Gaius' raised eyebrow, then burst into laughter again. Gaius couldn't help the big smile that appeared on his face. "So I take it you're feeling better then, Merlin?"

"Much better. The light doesn't hurt my eyes so much- and the garlic smells unpleasant, but it's not painful."

"Good to hear it. The vampire blood in your system must be diluting." He neglected to add that Merlin's magic was undoubtedly helping. "I came in to make sure you ate something." He handed Merlin the bowl he was carrying. "I made your favourite."

"Thanks, Gaius." Merlin demolished the contents within seconds, before settling back comfortably.

As the sun set, Merlin started to get more anxious. "Arthur..."

Arthur looked up from the book he was reading. "Merlin?"

"This is ridiculous. I can't have you and the guards staying up every night to keep an eye on me!"

Arthur nodded in agreement. "But until we have a better plan, it's our only option. I'm not letting that vampire get anywhere near you." He settled back in his chair, and patted the sword next to him.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I do not own Merlin. But I do have a quick update for you! :)

_*MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN* MERLIN*_

Arthur watched Merlin drift off to sleep and readjusted the beeswax he had lodged in his ears. He had made Merlin wear some too.

Arthur sighed, putting his sword down. He was already bored of flicking it around, feinting at imaginary targets. He really hoped that they would find a way to defeat the vampire soon. Watching Merlin sleep wasn't exactly the most riveting activity. But he knew he wasn't going to stop watching over him until he knew he was absolutely safe. Well as safe as a clumsy manservant could be.

Arthur looked over at Merlin sharply, who had suddenly started tossing in his sheets, a frown on his face. Arthur touched him on the shoulder again.

Merlin bolted awake. "Arthur?" He asked.

Arthur pointed his ears, and mouthed. "I can't hear you!"

"Oh yeah." Merlin mouthed back, grinning at his own stupidity.

And _that _waswhen the door to Arthur's room burst off its hinges into the wall, with a cloud of debris and smoke.

Arthur immediately rolled across the floor, picking up his sword. He flicked it upwards, ready. Through the door, he could see the guards sprawled across the floor, completely unconscious.

The vampire strolled into the room at an alarming pace, grabbing Merlin by the neck and moving to the side of the room. "Found you, at last." She stroked Merlin's face with her other hand."_Merlinnn._" She whispered. When her voice had no effect on Merlin, who was wide eyed with shock, and not the desire she was expecting, she sunk her fangs into his neck.

Merlin couldn't help the scream that burst from his lips. He struggled to keep his magic from bursting out in front of Arthur. Oh, it hurt. He flailed his legs and arms but she had lifted him off the floor, and his blows had no effect on her. His eyes flared golden before he shut them tight in pain, his life force unwillingly draining away by the second. The burning pain in his neck grew fiercer, his screams went on, echoing around the chamber unheard.

Arthur raced from across the other side of the room, and flicked his sword up and down, slicing into the vampire's forearm. She had moved at the last second, avoiding the death blow Arthur was intending but the wound drew blood, which smoked on contact with the air. She dropped Merlin, drawing back with a hiss. Clutching her forearm, she scowled. "Garlic..."

Arthur spared a brief glance at Merlin, who had dragged himself to lean up against the wall, one hand against his neck. Merlin nodded that he was alright.

That was all the encouragement Arthur needed. He glared at the vampire, and spoke from between clenched teeth. "Keep your fangs off my manservant."

She laughed, and moved behind him at superspeed. Arthur barely had time to flick his sword backwards, catching her with a scratch across her face.

Her face twisted in supreme rage. She moved backwards, Arthur following, his sword ready to strike another blow.

She switched tactics, rapidly dissipating into black fog, swirling across the floor, surrounding Arthur in a circle. Arthur swiped at the fog. It parted from his sword, avoiding it. He banged against the wall. She had backed him up to the other side of the room from Merlin. Too late, Arthur realised his mistake. The black fog swirled back into human form in barely an instant. She sped across the room towards Merlin faster than Arthur could blink. She picked Merlin up from the floor like he weighed less than air, and forced him to look into her eyes.

Merlin fought hard to keep his thoughts together, but they burst away from him the instant he looked deep into her eyes. The darkness there beckoned him, and he was lost in the black whirlpool depths that spun in her eyes. A memory of Arthur smiling at him flickered across his vision, and Kilgarrah's voice echoed in his thoughts. "He is your destiny, young warlock..." Merlin drew back from the precipice a brief second, fighting against what she was doing to him. "Arthur." He whispered soundlessly. And then that memory was gone too, whirling down into the depths of blackness.

Arthur howled in rage bordering on insanity, as he charged across the room, leaping to sweep his sword at the vampire. He was going to tear her apart with his bare hands. He was going to smile as he tore her limb from limb.

She swept back from Merlin, a smirk on her lips. She waved her finger in a tutting motion. Arthur raised his sword even higher, blood lust burning in his veins. Merlin just stood there, completely devoid of emotion.

She pointed at the window. Merlin drifted across the room, not even looking at Arthur as he moved towards the window. He swept his arm across the windowsill, sending the garlic there flying across the room. He opened the window.

The vampire smiled even wider. "Climb onto the ledge, and jump."

Merlin leaned forward precariously.

Arthur charged forward, grabbing Merlin's tunic and pulling him back. Merlin struggled against his grip, trying to reach the window.

Arthur glanced at the vampire. "If I can't have him, you can't." She mouthed. Arthur looked down at Merlin, a pang in his chest. Even as Merlin battled to reach the window, there wasn't a single trace of his Merlin in his face. The spark that made him Merlin wasn't there. There was no recognition in his blank eyes as Arthur tried shaking him.

"Why do you want him!" Arthur bellowed desperately.

She smiled knowingly, feeling Merlin's powerful magic singing in her veins, conferred upon her from his blood, enhancing her powers. She just smirked at Arthur, revelling in the pain that shone from his face.

Desperate, Arthur used the hilt of his sword to knock Merlin on the back of his head. Merlin stopped struggling instantly, dropping to the floor in a crumpled heap.

She scowled then, as he took the opportunity to smirk back at her. "He's mine- you can't have him!" He stepped forward hotly, sword pointed at her. She burst into black fog, and his diagonal swipe missed her by inches.

She disappeared through the open window. Arthur shut it with a disgusted bang, and hastily put the garlic back before turning to Merlin, unconscious on the floor. He picked him up, and put him on his bed. He grabbed some rope and proceeded to tie Merlin's arms and legs to the bed posts. He wasn't about to take the chance that Merlin might try jumping out of the window again when he regained consciousness.

He put his hands to his head in frustration. Just when he thought they might be gaining the upper hand, the vampire kept finding ways to get Merlin. He looked at the bite marks on Merlin's neck, anguished. When he looked up again, determination blazed in his eyes. He was going to make her pay.


End file.
